On the air with LBX: Students work with media professionals as they cover events across campus
Ever wonder who runs all of the live video, audio, and other technology during Convocation, football games, Block Party and more?
The talent behind the scenes is a large group of students, faculty, freelancers and professionals that make up what is called the Liberty Broadcast Experience (LBX). LBX provides students with the opportunity to interact with industry-standard broadcast technology and with talented professionals while providing broadcast and live event support to the university.
While this opportunity typically attracts digital media, communication and cinema students, it is open for any active student at any experience level and provides the opportunity for them to learn the ropes of what it means to broadcast content in a professional team-oriented environment.
Bennett Brown, a tech manager on the sports side of (LBX), helps recruit and train students to learn the basics of broadcast. He explained that typically, beginner students are placed in D2 and D3 hockey games, where they learn all the various broadcast positions and become comfortable working with the equipment. After they have learned the ins and outs for broadcasting and begin understanding what they most enjoy, they can transition into those specific positions and move onto other more demanding sports broadcasts depending on their skill level.
“Some of my favorite things are seeing a student understand a concept and then also seeing their growing passion for something,” Brown said. “So, you might try five different positions in broadcasting but then you find out like, ‘Oh, I’m really interested in graphics,’ and then I see that kind of light up in their face.…moments like that is what I enjoy.”
Through this process students continue to learn and grow in their abilities. They also get to network with various professionals alongside them who often come from working jobs all across the U.S. These professionals can offer helpful tips and pointers to students who need assistance. Silas Isaacson, a senior video production major who works for LBX, mainly does replay. He reflected on the opportunities offered by working with professionals.
“The producers and the directors and the people training you up are the best of the best,” Isaacson said. “They’ve been at CBS. They’ve been at Fox. They’ve been at these big networks already, and so it’s so cool to see that Liberty cares enough … to get the best … people in the business.”
Both Brown and Isaacson highlighted how important the team aspect of LBX is to them. Everyone learns from one another and freely gives advice and encouragement to one another as they work to create smooth and professional broadcasts.
Hannah Navage, a video shader and replay operator for LBX, shared what being a team means while working Convocation.
“It’s more like it’s a family,” Navage said. “So, whenever we’re at Convo … We’re getting food together. We’re all tired together. We’re working our best together … We’re in it with each other.”
After graduating, many students who worked for LBX go on to being freelancers in the positions they specialized in. Sometimes they even run into people they met through LBX.
“I’ve run into students, when I freelance outside of here, where I’m like, ‘Hey, what’s up?’ It’s so good to see (them) and catch up with them,” Brown said. “So, it’s fun whenever that happens, when you’re working a show outside of Liberty and then you run into students who (you) might have worked with.”
Even before they graduated, Navage and Isaacson both had the opportunity to freelance for other schools and events because the technology is so similar.
“I just worked a game at JMU this last weekend, and I was a utility and I helped build cameras. Without my experience at LBX, … I wouldn’t have been able to help build cameras for the football game,” Navage said.
Freund is a feature reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on X